A Rich History

it all started with 840 acres...

In 1887 Isaiah T. Montgomery and his business partner, Benjamin Green, purchased 840 acres of swampy land for $7 per acre. On the land sat a large, prehistoric Indian Mound, determining the name of the future town, Mound Bayou. On July 12, 1887 Mound Bayou was incorporated, and stands today as one of the oldest African-American incorporation's in the United States.

Mound Bayou played host to notable historic figures including Booker T. Washington, who visited frequently, and Theodore Roosevelt, who in 1907, spoke from the back of a train praising Mound Bayou.